Almost everyone had noticed.
After celebrating his birthday, Lin Ran’s complexion became noticeably worse. Wherever he went, he always had a cold, stern expression on his face. Only when Sheng Qingxi was around did he seem more like a normal person. Otherwise, he was just like an ice block on most days.
Xie Zhen pondered, “People really do change. Back in the day, even though Brother Ran had a bad temper, at least he’d lose it every now and then. But now, what’s this? He just stays cold and freezes everyone out, leaving people guessing.”
It was exhausting, really. No one knew how to deal with it.
He Mo, on the other hand, seemed to have an inkling of what was going on. He nudged the chubby guy beside him, “Hey, Ah Zhen. Brother Ran turned 22 after this birthday, but we haven’t even reached the seventh day of the new year. He’s deliberately focusing on the birthday and ignoring something else.”
Xie Zhen looked puzzled, “What’s so special about turning 22? Everyone turns 22 eventually, right? Why would a birthday put him in such a mood? And what does it have to do with the seventh day? Isn’t New Year’s like this every year?”
Geez, this guy really is dense. And yet he has a girlfriend.
He Mo sighed and closed his mouth, deciding not to say any more.
Their conversation soon shifted to other topics.
Xie Zhen, munching on sunflower seeds, darted his small eyes around, “Speaking of which, Brother Ran and the fairy haven’t been around much this year. I heard from Yan Yan that on the 29th, Brother Ran took her to the ancestral home. That must mean it’s official, right?”
“Do you think something like in those TV dramas could happen? You know, the old man pulls out a check and tells the fairy to leave his grandson immediately, and then Brother Ran and the fairy are forced apart, only to reunite years later. Tsk tsk, sounds pretty interesting when you think about it.”
He Mo shot him a deadpan look.
Ever since Xie Zhen got into a relationship, his imagination had only grown wilder. What on earth was he thinking about all day?
He absentmindedly picked up his phone, scrolled through the group chat, and replied, “Stop dreaming, that’s not gonna happen. Brother Ran already came clean with his family after we graduated from high school. The old man gave his approval ages ago.”
Xie Zhen thought for a moment and agreed.
Lin Ran would never go into a battle unprepared—that wasn’t his style.
…
On the night of the sixth day of the new year, Lin Ran gathered his closest friends at the garage for dinner, saying he wanted a get-together. He even cooked for them himself, which was a rare occasion. No matter what plans they had, they had to drop them for this.
Lin Yanyan had been living at the garage the whole time. She didn’t want to go back home just to watch Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi being all lovey-dovey.
Other people didn’t know, thinking Lin Ran was either at the ancestral home or Shengkai. But Lin Yanyan knew better. These past two weeks, Sheng Qingxi had been staying at the villa in the west of the city, and the two of them barely left the house.
Lin Yanyan found it utterly baffling. She couldn’t understand what they still found so clingy about each other—they’d been together for four years already.
But what bothered her even more than that was having to see Song Xingyu tonight.
The two of them had had a fight. It was their first argument since they got together. Lin Yanyan knew Song Xingyu wasn’t as gentle as he appeared on the surface, but whenever they were together, he was always mild-tempered with her.
The reason for this argument was the same as the last time they fought.
There had been a woman around Song Xingyu when he went to a competition. Even though he hadn’t invited her, and nothing had happened, Lin Yanyan was still upset. In a fit of anger, she had told him they should break up.
That was the first time she had seen Song Xingyu tear off his gentle mask and take off his glasses.
He had grabbed her chin and kissed her softly, but his words had sent chills down her spine. Whispering her name in a low, gentle voice, he told her to think carefully, and that he would ask her again in a week.
And today was the last day of their one-week ultimatum.
Lin Yanyan hadn’t contacted Song Xingyu all week. His messages had come through as usual, as if nothing had happened a week ago. Lin Yanyan didn’t reply to a single one, and Song Xingyu hadn’t come looking for her either.
Lin Yanyan was reluctantly forced to come out today to entertain Lin Ran’s friends.
Though they were called friends, Xie Zhen and He Mo already lived there, so the only person she had to deal with was Song Xingyu. Lin Ran hadn’t invited anyone else, just like back in high school.
What Lin Ran didn’t know was that his precious little sister and the person he had once entrusted were now together.
And both of them were hiding it from him.
By the time it was close to six o’clock, the sky had long since darkened.
He Mo and Xie Zhen were in the living room playing video games, and Lin Ran was alone in the kitchen. Sheng Qingxi and Song Xingyu hadn’t arrived yet, and Lin Yanyan was leaning against the railing on the second floor, staring blankly at the entrance.
From where she stood, she had a clear view of the front door downstairs and could notice any movements outside.
A little past six.
A familiar engine roared, like a beast growling.
Lin Yanyan froze for a moment—it was the sound of a heavy motorcycle.
Song Xingyu hadn’t ridden his motorcycle much these past two years. He only drove it when his mood was particularly bad. Was he upset these past few days? A sudden wave of anxiety washed over Lin Yanyan, and she unconsciously bit her lower lip.
Before she could collect herself, the man she hadn’t seen in a week stepped through the door.
Sensing something, he lifted his gaze and looked straight at her.
Since being with her, Song Xingyu had stopped dyeing his hair, and his jet-black locks suppressed the only bit of wildness left in him. He wore a dark brown wool coat, his tousled hair pushed back casually, and behind his glasses, his eyes appeared calm and gentle.
At first glance, anyone would think he was a refined and gentle man, elegant to the extreme.
But that was just his mask.
Lin Ran knew it. Sheng Qingxi knew it.
And Lin Yanyan knew it too.
“Yanyan.”
He called her name softly, just like always.
Song Xingyu gazed unblinkingly at the girl on the second floor, his expression composed. No one knew that beneath his calm exterior, his inner frustration was about to boil over. It had been seven whole days, and she hadn’t replied to a single message or made a single call.
Was she truly determined to break up?
Lin Yanyan parted her lips, wanting to say something but unsure where to begin. With her head lowered, she locked eyes with the man on the first floor, and for a long time, they simply stared at each other.
“Yanyan, has Brother Song arrived?”
Xie Zhen’s voice broke the tense silence between them.
Lin Yanyan turned her head and replied, “Yeah, he’s here.”
No one noticed that it had been a long time since Lin Yanyan had called Song Xingyu “Brother Song.” Some things change imperceptibly over time, quietly but profoundly.
Song Xingyu withdrew his gaze and slowly walked toward the second floor.
For some reason, a sudden wave of nervousness gripped Lin Yanyan, filling her with an inexplicable fear. The closer his footsteps came, the more she wanted to run away. She tried to hold back, but eventually, she couldn’t resist and moved toward where Xie Zhen and He Mo were.
As soon as Song Xingyu reached the second floor, he saw Lin Yanyan avoiding him, walking toward those two guys.
He lowered his gaze, and the hand hidden in his pocket clenched into a fist.
Xie Zhen and He Mo, upon seeing Song Xingyu, greeted him with enthusiasm, “Brother Song, come sit with us!”
Song Xingyu smiled lightly and responded, “Alright.”
Though he answered them, his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yanyan, calm but persistent, following her every move. Lin Yanyan felt as if some kind of beast was stalking her, sending a chill down her neck.
She pouted, then turned to glare at Song Xingyu: Stop looking at me!
Song Xingyu curled his lips into a faint smile and obediently shifted his gaze away.
The fire inside him had been simmering for some time now—starting from when Lin Yanyan went to Ningcheng, to when she began posting those ambiguous messages on her social media, and finally, a week ago, when she mentioned breaking up. That was when he could no longer bear it.
There was an eight-year age gap between Lin Yanyan and him. Although they were already together, Song Xingyu still saw her as a child. He wanted her to live as freely and happily as possible, so even when he felt uncomfortable, he suppressed it.
Song Xingyu, at his core, was a man with a strong desire for control, but he didn’t dare show that side to Lin Yanyan, fearing that if she ever saw it, she wouldn’t want to stay near him anymore. He let out a low sigh. Even someone like him had ended up being completely captivated by this young girl.
Ever since Song Xingyu had arrived, Lin Yanyan couldn’t sit still.
She pulled out her phone and started texting Sheng Qingxi, hoping to hurry her over. Sheng Qingxi rarely came this late. A few minutes ago, Lin Yanyan had even gone to the kitchen to ask Lin Ran, who told her that Sheng Qingxi had been out shopping with Song Shiman.
Sheng Qingxi replied quickly, saying she was already downstairs.
Lin Yanyan’s eyes lit up—finally, she wouldn’t have to face everything alone!
Across from her, Song Xingyu sat quietly. He didn’t blatantly stare at her, but out of the corner of his eye, he was constantly observing her little movements. When he noticed her eyes brighten, his own gaze dimmed slightly.
She seemed happy, but it wasn’t because of him.
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Yanyan suddenly stood up and ran downstairs.
Song Xingyu paused for a moment before getting up and walking toward the railing, glancing down.
In no time, Lin Yanyan had bounded to the front door like a rabbit, even sticking her head out to look outside. When he had arrived, she had merely watched him from afar on the second floor.
Song Xingyu only watched for a moment before turning away.
He knew who Lin Yanyan was waiting for—no one but Sheng Qingxi.
“Brother Song, what are you looking at?” Xie Zhen asked casually, his eyes still glued to the game screen.
Song Xingyu showed no sign of anything amiss and smiled, “Nothing.”
Downstairs.
Lin Yanyan paused when she saw Sheng Qingxi and leaned in close, staring at her intently with unconcealed curiosity in her eyes. “Sister Sheng, haven’t you been sleeping well lately?”
Sheng Qingxi’s skin was naturally fair, and the dark circles under her eyes were glaringly obvious.
Anyone could tell with just one look.
Sheng Qingxi had even applied makeup today, but Lin Yanyan still noticed. She sighed softly, “Yanyan, does your brother not have anything better to do lately?”
She really didn’t want to see him again these past few days—he was utterly annoying.
Sheng Qingxi’s famously accurate biological clock, maintained over so many years, had been completely shattered by Lin Ran in just a few days. Not only had he broken it, but he had turned her schedule upside down.
For several days, Sheng Qingxi had been unable to distinguish between day and night. It wasn’t until two days ago, when she snuck back to Shengkai, that things started to improve. During those two days, she hadn’t gone running, which even made Sheng Lan wonder if she was sick.
Lin Yanyan, linking arms with Sheng Qingxi, thought for a moment and said, “No, my brother has been in a terrible mood these past few days. On his birthday, everything seemed fine, but the next day, he was all gloomy. He’s so strange.”
“But then again, he’s starting to take over things at the company now. It’s not surprising that he’s hard to figure out. Business people are all like this. I don’t get it, but I don’t need to worry about it either.”
Sheng Qingxi kept her lips tightly sealed, not wanting to reveal the truth.
It was better to let them misunderstand like this. She didn’t want anyone teasing her about it.
She pressed her lips together and said, “It’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Tomorrow was the seventh day of the lunar new year, and the civil affairs bureau would reopen. The day after Lin Ran’s birthday, he had dragged her out of bed first thing in the morning without telling her where they were going. Sheng Qingxi, still groggy, had followed him, and it wasn’t until the car stopped in front of the civil affairs bureau that she realized what was happening.
The result? The two of them stood there, staring at the bureau’s closed doors, looking at each other in bewilderment.
Lin Ran had been furious on the spot.
He had already gotten the household registration book from Sheng Lan well in advance. On the 29th, when he brought Sheng Qingxi back to the ancestral home to announce their marriage, he hadn’t sought anyone’s approval; it was simply a notification. What could the old man or Lin Youcheng say? They had to swallow it.
On the night of the 30th, Lin Ran had gone to Shengkai to bring up the marriage with Sheng Lan again, as if he couldn’t wait to give everything, including his whole fortune, to Sheng Qingxi. Sheng Lan didn’t agree immediately and only gave her blessing after asking Sheng Qingxi for her opinion.
After the New Year, their marriage was essentially settled. Sheng Qingxi thought the engagement ring was too conspicuous, so she hadn’t worn it. Today, however, she had brought it along, though she hadn’t taken it out yet. After all, Lin Ran planned to announce it to everyone.
Lin Yanyan couldn’t figure out what Sheng Qingxi meant and muttered, “Why will it be fine tomorrow? Is tomorrow some special day? Eh, whatever. Let’s go upstairs.”
Once they were upstairs, Lin Yanyan stayed close to Sheng Qingxi, following her into the kitchen for a look around before the two of them were promptly shooed out by Lin Ran. They had no choice but to sit obediently on the sofa.
Song Xingyu glanced at Lin Yanyan for a while before getting up and heading into the kitchen.
Since she was feeling uncomfortable, he decided to give her some space. After all, he would get his answer by the end of the night—there was no rush.
Half an hour later.
Lin Ran and Song Xingyu came out of the kitchen carrying dishes. The two men, both with broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long legs, were strikingly eye-catching, and walking out together, they were quite a sight to behold.
Lin Yanyan couldn’t help but glance at her boyfriend again.